Why Wimbledon 2023 should not ban players from Russia and Belarus

With the 2024 Paris Olympics facing potential boycott by Ukrainians, all eyes in tennis are on Wimbledon on its decision to allow Russians.


Why Wimbledon 2023 should not ban players from Russia and Belarus

Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka - Absentees from the 2022 Wimbledon

The world has never been the same since the time Russian madman and President Vladimir Putin launched a war on Ukraine a year ago. Viewed from the prism of sports, the war has hurt athletes the most, though the burning question is if it is right to boycott them. Whether the Russian, Belarus, and Ukraine athletes will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics or not is something that will be decided soon by the IOC.

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However, there is pressure building on Britain to allow the Russians in this time for the grass-court season. Last year, Wimbledon was firm in a ban on the Russian players. It hurt many like Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Karen Khachanov. There are women players also who have been hurt in the process, with Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus showing that she is a hot player in 2023 by winning the 2023 Australian Open.

In the last few days, there is already talk of there being pressure on Britain to allow players from the war region to compete at Wimbledon as well as the grass warm-up events. It is well known, when the All England Lawn Tennis Club clamped down on the players last year, the ATP and WTA withdrew ranking points for the premier Grand Slam event.

While it may not have hurt the brand value of The Championship, it hurt many players. Novak Djokovic, for sure, was on a slide down the rankings despite his triumph at Wimbledon in 2022 when he beat Nick Kyrgios.

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Wimbledon needs to be smart about the Russian trouble which was troublesome in Australia this year

Novak Djokovic and Srdjan Djokovic
Novak Djokovic and Srdjan Djokovic

British newspapers have reported in the last two days how the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) of Britain has been offered $ 5,00,000 from the WTA Tour if they lift the ban on Russian and Belarussian players from competing in the warm-up events. It is well known the decision to ban these tennis players was done because the British government is backing Ukraine in the war massively.

However, banning players is not right. The WTA has, in fact, requested the LTA to negotiate with the government on revoking the ban. One thing the ATP and WTA need to realize is, offering any sort of discount on the fine imposed in 2022 on LTA/Wimbledon is meaningless. The British tennis association plus Wimbledon are super rich. They have a robust business model and throwing $ 5,00,000 to them is crumbs!

There has to be a more sensitive way forward. Fans saw at the Australian Open how the Russian flag had been waved in the stands and Novak Djokovic’s father Srdjan got into needless trouble when he was videographed with the flag. It was clarified in quick time he had nothing to do with the war. Novak, himself, was most honest when he said his take on the war was not siding with any country.

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He spoke of how the war between Serbia and Croatia in the 90s had seen people suffer. Novak himself said in interviews how he had to stand in a line for mild and bread. The point is, banning players at Wimbledon in the 2023 or warm-up events in Birmingham and Queens will serve no purpose. Britain has behaved in a strange way.

At a time when the world is more concerned about how Turkey and Syria were rocked by earthquakes and humanitarian aid could be provided, Britain is more obsessed with Ukraine. It is OK for politicians to speak on this but to hurt players from countries at war is sad. The latest in this saga is the President of the United States of America Joe Biden making a dash recently to Ukraine.

USA’s stance is well known, however, the US Open, the season’s last Grad Slam never banned any players in 2022. If anything, the USA will be lifting the Covid emergency status and allow even those not vaccinated to enter their country from May 11. In Melbourne at the Australian Open in January, American legends John McEnroe and Billie Jean King were emphatic when they said there should be no ban on Russian and Belarusian players at Wimbledon.

Even though the tennis caravan is now in Doha and Dubai, very soon the focus will shift to the clay season in Europe and the French Open in Paris. Wimbledon will be in news, soon. For a Grand slam which in the first year of the Covid pandemic took out the pandemic insurance and gave players money in 2020, the world of tennis looks at Wimbledon as a leader of sorts.

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There is no way players need to be isolated and everyone suffers in the absence of ranking points for the premier Grand Slam. Be sure, in the coming weeks, there will be pressure on Britain. From Boris Johnson to Rishi Sunak, there has to be a difference in the belief.

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